A roadside memorial rests along Highway 38 near Yucaipa, Calif., on Feb. 6. Fred Bailey Richardson, 72, the driver of a pickup truck struck by a careening tour bus, died along with seven others. / Rick Sforza, The Sun, via AP

by Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

by Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

Road deaths in the USA rose 5.3% last year to 34,080, the first year-over-year increase in traffic fatalities since 2005, according to preliminary estimates today from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The jump had been widely expected as more people are taking to the roadways as the economy improves. Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration shows that vehicle miles traveled in 2012 increased by 9.1 billion miles - a 0.3% rise. The fatality rate - which is number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - is projected to rise to 1.16 from 1.10.

Road deaths had steadily decreased each year since 2005, dropping by about 26% from 2005 to 2011, when 32,367 people died on the nation's roads.

Crash fatalities were up for every quarter of 2012 compared with 2011, the NHTSA says.

"The news, while disheartening, is not surprising," said Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. "With the improving economy and historically low levels of motor vehicle deaths in recent years, we expected deaths to increase. Highway deaths have been declining significantly in recent years."

Harsha said her organization is especially concerned about increasing road deaths among motorcyclists. The group recently projected that about 5,000 motorcyclists died in 2012, which would be 14.7% of overall traffic fatalities -- the highest percentage ever -- and a 9% increase over the previous year. "A comprehensive strategy is needed to keep motorcyclists safe," she said. "Most crucial in this strategy are universal helmet laws, which 31 states currently lack."

The NHTSA's early estimate did not provide a breakdown of fatalities among road users.

The region with the biggest percentage increase in road deaths was the Northeast - comprising Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut; traffic fatalities in the region jumped more than 15%.

NHTSA is continuing to gather data on crash deaths from police reports and other sources, but its early estimates are usually an accurate projection.